Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sunybcs!image.soe.clarkson.edu!rpi!sigma From: sigma@pawl.rpi.edu (Kevin J Martin) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: Re: PKZIP version 1.10 and data encryption Message-ID: Date: 29 Mar 90 19:24:21 GMT References: <3726.261001b4@vax5.cit.cornell.edu> <1990Mar28.144418.832@ccu.umanitoba.ca> <5544@jarthur.Claremont.EDU> <392@sigma3.sm.luth.se> Distribution: comp Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY Lines: 46 In article <392@sigma3.sm.luth.se> writes: >In article sigma@pawl.rpi.edu (Kevin J Martin) writes: >>I think what the government has in mind is not too bad, but the law is, I'll >>agree, hopelessly unenforceable. > >So the idea isn't too bad, is it? I think it is. Just look at the >situation. The law says (If I'm not misinformed, which I might of >course be), that this kind of software is available for every US or >Canadian citizen living in US or Canada, but not to anyone else. Is >that right? How can anyone imagine that such a law will prevent >anything. And prevent what? What is the purpose of this law? To make >sure that other nations can't encrypt data? In such case I think it'd >be a good idea for someone to visit a psyciatrist. Or is it to make >sure that other nations can't decrypt data of importance for America? >Stupid too. Data that is so important shouldn't be encrypted by >systems available as shareware. Believe me when I say that there are >people IN America who can cause lots of damage too. And for them it's >allowed. No! I think the law is pitiful too! The problem, in my estimation, is that the government ever released the algorithm into North American public domain! It's obvious to everyone that that's totally unenforceable; I agree entirely with everything you say. It's not a bad idea for the govt. to develop a special encryption technology, but to then "publish" it is the ultimate in idiocy. >>By the way, does anyone know why many video games these days have a briefly >>displayed screen which says "Illegal to export outside US and Canada"? What >>sort of technology could a video game (for which most of the electronics >>are built in Taiwan or Japan, anyway) contain that would compromise natinal >>(national) security? The more I think about it, the funnier it seems. > >I've heard reasons for this, but it's so silly I certainly hope it's >not true. Most of those video games are WAR-games. So. Someone thought >that for example "Enemy nation fighter pilots" may increase their >skill in combat with help of these games. Or learn how US aircrafts >behave. Well. As I said. I certainly hope this isn't true. This is almost what I was afraid of. It sounds like the recent Feds busting the Steve Jackson Games' BBS and, according to dubious rumours, discovering that the GURPS CyberPunk material "may be overly useful to true hacking or phreaking in today's world." Yeah, just like people who play magic-users in D&D or such systems actually learn how to summon demons and elementals! Kevin Martin sigma@pawl.rpi.edu